Hi

 

What are the current requirements to open a bank account with Kasikornbank? I'm a foreigner staying in Bangkok. I'm not working in Thailand so I do not have a Thai work permit. 

 

I'm here a non-imm O visa and need to open a Thai bank account and transfer 400K THB to it and I would prefer Kasikornbank. 

 

 

 

The only absolute requirement is passport and proof of residence.  For the last, they might accept a lease or might require you to get a letter from Immigration.

 

In practice, it seems to vary by branch.

31 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

The only absolute requirement is passport and proof of residence.  For the last, they might accept a lease or might require you to get a letter from Immigration.

 

In practice, it seems to vary by branch.

Yes so true. Bangkok Bank would not open an account for me even though I had an account with them where I used to live in Thailand. I went to the another branch in the shopping centre and it was no problem. Go figure

So if you get rejected at one branch try another. 

You don't need a work permit; your long stay visa is enough. You might get asked for an embassy certified copy of your passport which has been also sighted and stamped by Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs but try without that first up.

Edited October 17, 20205 yr by Isaan Alan
added an extra comment

Passport and yellow book was all that was required a few months ago.

I opened a Kasikorn Bank savings-account last month, and am quite satisfied with their service as well as with their on-line capabilities.  

But it needed some persistence to get the account opened.

I am staying in Thailand on a Non Imm O-A Visa and on my first attempt the assistant manager of the Kasikorn branche in KhunHan (small rural city where I live) told me that I needed a Work Permit to open an account.  Since you are not allowed to do any work on a Non Imm O-A Visa getting a Work Permit is of course not possible, but I knew from reports on the Forum that other applicants succeeded in opening an account at Kasikorn Bank without such a Work Permit.  So I waited 2 days and returned to the same branche but checked beforehand whether the branche manager was in, and asked to talk to her.  After a 2-minute pleasant talk, she told me OK and referred me to the same assistant manager that initially told me Not possible.

It took more than 1 hour to open the account for me, and the assistant manager being 3/4 of the time on the phone with Headquarters (it was obvious it was her first time opening an account for a foreigner). 

I only had my passport with me, and had to explain several times that the Non Imm O-A Visa sticker was my 'retirement Visa' (an O-A Visa sticker does not mention the word retirement, and it seems they wanted such proof).

Together with the Savings Account bank-book and debit-card, the branch also provided me with free SMS-service (when you use the debit-card for a purchase you get an instant SMS of the purchase and your remaining bank-balance).

Last week I went back to the Kasikorn branch (to update my bank-book, which is recommended to do at least once every month), and I also subscribed to K-Cyber which allows me now to do my banking on-line.

Conclusion > Don't take NO for an answer by the desk officer handling your application, and ask to speak to the branch manager of your local Kasikorn branch.  Explain that you need the account to meet the Immigration requirements and that you need to park 800K or 400K on such account (a financial teaser for the branch manager).  And if one Kasikorn branch does not want your account, you can simply try at another one close-by.  It also seems that branches located in shopping-malls are easier to open an account.

They want a long term visa so a non Imm O will be fine, a tourist visa isn't but each branch seems to slightly vary but are much stricter than when I opened my account 

When i first tried to open an account at my nearest kasikorn bank i showed them my passort with retirement visa they said no... i needed a work permit then i pulled out my thai driving licence and they said yes ok,

 

Fact is if you ask 10 different employees maybe you get 10 different answers.

When I lived in Bangkok I opened an account with Kasikorn near Sukhumvit 55, I needed no more than a passport showing my current permission to stay. 
 

I subsequently moved to Hua Hin where I opened a second account, again just with a passport.

 

An example of how things vary from branch to branch or even teller to teller, when my wife and I married I thought it might be a good idea to open a joint account as well, as we lived near the Sukhumvit 55 branch and had an account there, it made sense to open the account  there. On this occasion however we were told that I needed a work permit to open the account despite the fact I already had an account there, we were advised that it was a new instruction from the Bank of Thailand. I asked to see a supervisor, who after being briefed by her colleague, confirmed the “new instruction”, I didn’t believe either of them, but there was no point in arguing.

 

When I got home I emailed Kasikorns head office asking for advice, they apologised and confirmed that there was no such instruction, suggesting that I return to the branch and ask again, the person who replied gave me her direct line and asked that if I was given incorrect advice again, then I could call her and she would put them right.

 

l would have been more than happy to do so, but my wife wasn’t prepared to let them lose face, we went to Silom where the account was opened without fuss. 

21 hours ago, Sheryl said:

The only absolute requirement is passport and proof of residence.  For the last, they might accept a lease or might require you to get a letter from Immigration.

 

In practice, it seems to vary by branch.

I already have a account with the kasikorn bank that I opened it ten years ago Now 2 weeks ago I wanted to open a another account with the bank and they said I can not. They said I needed a non-OA visa not a non-o visa. I said say what? I already have a account with you. So I asked for the manage and he said the same thing. So I rang their hot line number and they said the same. Sounds very stupid to me as I already have a account with them, but I guess you can't fight city hall.

In rare instances, you might successfully open an account with just your foreign passport. Rare as hen's teeth though. Be persistent.

3 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

I already have a account with the kasikorn bank that I opened it ten years ago Now 2 weeks ago I wanted to open a another account with the bank and they said I can not. They said I needed a non-OA visa not a non-o visa. I said say what? I already have a account with you. So I asked for the manage and he said the same thing. So I rang their hot line number and they said the same. Sounds very stupid to me as I already have a account with them, but I guess you can't fight city hall.

I have had a K Bank account for over 15 years. Last year went in to try to get a secured credit card and they said sorry, you need a retirement visa. 

I had the same rubbish with all major banks in BKK.

I'm on a Non O-A

Good morning Sir, how can we help?

I want to open an account.

Great, have a seat. You want a coffee Sir.

Yes, please milk and sugar.

 

5 minutes later. Can I have your work permit? Don't have any. Retired. Lazy.

Ohhh, can not Sir. Quickly guided me to the door.

Probably getting more money each month then the bank manager. 555

 

I went to UOB, Singaporean bank. Very good service. Had to deposit 50k Baht. Opened account and could, if I wanted, withdraw funds straight ahead.

Opening a bank account is all down to the branch manager. If you have continued problems, try contacting the kasikorn helpline, the frontline service will only give you the company policy but if you can speak to a supervisor. They seem to understand the need for foreigners to open a bank account to season the money for immigration and they can act as a go-between, translating your requirements. This worked for me, but I already had an existing account. 

27 minutes ago, AlfHuy said:

I had the same rubbish with all major banks in BKK.

I'm on a Non O-A

Good morning Sir, how can we help?

I want to open an account.

Great, have a seat. You want a coffee Sir.

Yes, please milk and sugar.

 

5 minutes later. Can I have your work permit? Don't have any. Retired. Lazy.

Ohhh, can not Sir. Quickly guided me to the door.

Probably getting more money each month then the bank manager. 555

...

There is a serious misalignment between Thai bank procedures for opening an account as a foreigner and the requirements from Thai Immigration for a Visa or 1-year Extension of stay application.

Most Thai banks will turn you away when wanting to open a bank-account while on a Visa Exempt, Tourist Visa or Non Imm O Visa.

But without such a bank-account you will not be able to meet the IO requirements.

>> When you are on a Non Imm O (or O-A) Visa it is somewhat easier (although many banks will require a Work Permit, while a Visa for reason of retirement strictly prohibits you from working - nice Catch-22).

But for those on VisaExempt or a Tourist Visa, it is a real ordeal and often have to try at 10-20 bank branches before they find one that is willing to open an account for them.  

The bright side is that it gives them already a taste of the Thai bureaucratic flexibility they will encounter when visiting their local IO... ???? 

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

I already have a account with the kasikorn bank that I opened it ten years ago Now 2 weeks ago I wanted to open a another account with the bank and they said I can not. They said I needed a non-OA visa not a non-o visa. I said say what? I already have a account with you. So I asked for the manage and he said the same thing. So I rang their hot line number and they said the same. Sounds very stupid to me as I already have a account with them, but I guess you can't fight city hall.

I don't think it's City Hall it's Kasikorn, they blocked me opening a second account also so instead I opened at Bangkok Bank and Krungsi, both are easier and better 

23 hours ago, Sheryl said:

The only absolute requirement is passport and proof of residence.  For the last, they might accept a lease or might require you to get a letter from Immigration.

 

In practice, it seems to vary by branch.

I opened an account with Kasikorn on Asoke last year, and all I needed was my passport. I brought proof of residence (lease, letter from the building office, rent receipts, utility bills), but they had no interest in any of it - they were happy to accept the address I wrote on the application form without any evidence at all.

 

The conversation began with them asking for a work permit, but when I said that I was retired and showed them my (then) O-A and extension, they said "oh, ok" and proceeded to open the account for me.

 

As everyone has noted, your mileage may vary!

On 10/17/2020 at 1:59 PM, Sheryl said:

The only absolute requirement is passport and proof of residence.  For the last, they might accept a lease or might require you to get a letter from Immigration.

 

In practice, it seems to vary by branch.

Like you said,it depends on the branch,but officially since early last year when they changed the requirements, a foreigner isn't allowed to open an account at K-Bank. Check the website:

https://kasikornbank.com/en/personal/Account/Pages/savings.aspx

Some branches asks for a retirement visa or a wp. I know one branch asking for a retirement visa and a ฿10,000 deposit. 

I've opened an account with K-Bank recently (Elite visa), Residence Certificate wasn't required. I think the only bank that cares for RC is Bangkok Bank, because I have UOB and Krungsri opened with just passport on tourist exempt. At K-Bank they told me that any long-term visa will do, but no tourists. SCB wants either work permit or retirement visa.

41 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Like you said,it depends on the branch,but officially since early last year when they changed the requirements, a foreigner isn't allowed to open an account at K-Bank. Check the website:

https://kasikornbank.com/en/personal/Account/Pages/savings.aspx

 

I don't see anywhere there that says this.

 

Others seem to be reporting that they could open if they had either a work permit, elite visa  or a non-O/X visa.

A suitcase full with money and tell them you'd like to talk to the manager.

 

   That's how I opened my first bank account here. 

I have 3 accounts with K-Bank, 2 savings and the third I opened just 2 months ago was my fixed deposit account.  Never had to show them anything more than my Passport which showed O-A, and my yellow book and Pink ID card.  The branch I use is in the Central Festival Lad Prao.  I also have an account with Krungsri, as that is where my Truck payment was made back when I had a Truck, and they wanted a savings account opened as well so they could just auto draft the payment every month.  No issues there either.

4 hours ago, AlfHuy said:

Probably getting more money each month then the bank manager. 555

But the bank manager can kick you out of the bank anytime he want. 555

On 10/17/2020 at 3:23 PM, tingtongfarang said:

When i first tried to open an account at my nearest kasikorn bank i showed them my passort with retirement visa they said no... i needed a work permit then i pulled out my thai driving licence and they said yes ok,

 

Fact is if you ask 10 different employees maybe you get 10 different answers.

 

Strange, why is a Thai driving licence more acceptable than a retirement visa?

 

It seems that a retirement visa is not looked highly upon in Thailand?

 

I opened several bank accounts only with a tourist visa, both Kasikorn and BBK accepted it, but that was many years ago.  A 1 year visa should be more than enough, and you need to bring a residence certificate , or a rental contract.  Also you need to try several branches, some of the staff are very hard to talk to. 

On 10/17/2020 at 2:37 PM, Thailand said:

Passport and yellow book was all that was required a few months ago.

Same here.

On 10/18/2020 at 10:01 AM, redpill17 said:

I've opened an account with K-Bank recently (Elite visa), Residence Certificate wasn't required. I think the only bank that cares for RC is Bangkok Bank, because I have UOB and Krungsri opened with just passport on tourist exempt. At K-Bank they told me that any long-term visa will do, but no tourists. SCB wants either work permit or retirement visa.

Last year tried to open a BA at Bangkok bank, my wife have a BA already for years at that location. In 2018 they want a Residence Certificate from immigration. In 2019 I have the RC and now they want a letter of my embassy. Clearly they do not like to give me a BA. I go to the Krungthai Bank and my poor sister in law could be a guarantee because she have a BA at that branch????

At KBank Terminal 21 Pattaya  a few months ago: Passport with retirement ext,  TM30 receipt to show address. 10,000B min to open.

On 10/18/2020 at 12:25 PM, recom273 said:

Opening a bank account is all down to the branch manager. If you have continued problems, try contacting the kasikorn helpline, the frontline service will only give you the company policy but if you can speak to a supervisor. They seem to understand the need for foreigners to open a bank account to season the money for immigration and they can act as a go-between, translating your requirements. This worked for me, but I already had an existing account. 

The helpline (02-8888888) responded that Kasikorn will NOT open an account for me without a "retirement visa".  Their position never wavered despite my explanation that such a visa does not exist.

 

I even attempted to open an account in person with the assistance of a Kasikorn employee who is the regional Manager for a division of Kasikorn (personal friend of family).  The branch manager also stated that I must have a "retirement visa".

 

Best go elsewhere and take ALL family accounts with you.

Edited October 24, 20205 yr by gamb00ler
speling

9 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

The helpline (02-8888888) responded that Kasikorn will NOT open an account for me without a "retirement visa".  Their position never wavered despite my explanation that such a visa does not exist.

 

I even attempted to open an account in person with the assistance of a Kasikorn employee who is the regional Manager for a division of Kasikorn (personal friend of family).  The branch manager also stated that I must have a "retirement visa".

 

Best go elsewhere.

they are referring to a non Imm O or OA based on retirement or a subsequent extension